The Irish History Podcast examines the year 1845 when the potato harvest in Ireland failed and Ireland's Great Hunger began, and how Britain reacted.
The Great Famine is the most important event in modern Irish history. This podcast is a fascinating account of how exactly this terrible event began during the harvest of 1845. Initially it started as rumors about a mysterious disease attacking the potato crop, the staple diet of 3-4 million Irish peasants.
Read more: Murders show savagery of day to day life during Great Hunger
While well informed botanists in London grew increasingly anxious about what lay ahead, many Irish peasants dependent on potatoes had little idea what was happening.
When the harvest failed, the Great Famine began. You will hear how terror gripped the population and how the British authorities reacted.
Read more: Proving the Irish Famine was genocide by the British
* Fin Dwyer is a historian, author, and creator of the Irish history podcast. Over the last seven years, he has been creating free podcasts which makes Irish history accessible to new audiences. He has covered diverse topics from the Middle Ages to the modern history. He is currently focusing on the story of the Great Hunger. With over three million individuals downloads, the show is one of Ireland's most popular podcasts. You can find his podcast on iTunes or Spotify .
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